Michelle Chewens

Biography

Michelle Chewens was named head coach of the women's cross country program in July 2022 and is in her first season with the Mustangs. Chewens is also an assistant track coach for the women's distance team. At the 2022 Big West XC Championships, Chewens led an overlooked Cal Poly women's team to its first Big West title since 2018 and eighth in program history in her first season at the helm. The Mustangs (63 points) edged out UC Irvine (64) in the closest finish in the history of the Big West Championships. Julia Heckey captured third at the conference meet to secure All-Big West honors and four other Cal Poly runners placed inside the top 20 individually. Chewens garnered Big West Women's Co-Coach of the Year praise, while Tatiana Cornejo, who earned 14th at the conference meet, became Cal Poly's first Big West Women's Freshman of the Year award recipient since 2017. At the NCAA West Regionals in Washington, Chewens guided the Mustang women to an 11th-place result, their best finish since 2018. Additionally, Heckey grabbed 35th at regionals to become Cal Poly's highest individual finisher at regionals since 2018. During the 2023 track season, Chewens mentored NCAA West Preliminaries qualifier Rachel Victor, who ran the second-fastest women's 3,000-meter steeplechase time in school history (10:16.43). Prior to arriving in San Luis Obispo, Chewens spent three seasons (2019-22) as a volunteer assistant coach for the Ole Miss track and field and cross country programs, working p